Book of Isaiah

This article is about the Book of Isaiah. For the Jewish prophet, see Isaiah.

Tanakh Torah | Nevi'im | Ketuvim Books of Nevi'im
First Prophets
1. Joshua
2. Judges
3. Samuel
4. Kings
Later Prophets
5. Isaiah
6. Jeremiah
7. Ezekiel
8. 12 minor prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Book of Isaiah (Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה) is one of the books of Judaism's Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, traditionally attributed to Isaiah, an 8th century B.C.E. Judean prophet.

In the first 39 chapters, Isaiah prophesies doom for a sinful Judah and for all the nations of the world that oppose God. The last 27 chapters, called "The Book of Comfort," prophesy the restoration of the nation under a divine king. This section includes the Songs of the Suffering Servant.

Content

The 66 chapters of Isaiah consist primarily of prophecies of Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Syria, Israel (the northern kingdom), Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, and Phoenicia. The prophecies concerning them can be summarized as saying that God is the God of the whole earth, and that nations which think of themselves as secure in their own power might well be conquered by other nations, at God's command.

The Book of Isaiah

The judgments, however, are not only against those who persecute Isaiah's country, Judah. Chapters 1-5 and 28-29 prophesy judgment against Judah itself. Judah thinks itself safe because of its covenant relationship with God. However, God tells Judah (through Isaiah) that the covenant cannot protect them when they have broken it by idolatry, the worship of other gods, and by acts of injustice and cruelty, which oppose God's law.

Some exceptions to this overall foretelling of doom do occur, throughout the early chapters of the book. Chapter 6 describes Isaiah's call to be a prophet of God. Chapters 35-39 provide historical material about King Hezekiah and his triumph of faith in God.

Chapters 24-34, while too complex to characterize easily, are primarily concerned with prophecies of a "Messiah," a person anointed or given power by God, and of the Messiah's kingdom, where justice and righteousness will reign. This section is seen by Jews as describing an actual king, a descendant of their great king, David, who will make Judah a great kingdom and Jerusalem a truly holy city. It is traditionally seen by Christians as describing Jesus, who was, according to Christian genealogy, descended from David, and who began a non-political kingdom. A number of modern scholars believe that it describes, in somewhat idealized terms, King Hezekiah, a descendant of David who lived in Isaiah's day, and who tried to make Jerusalem into a holy city be repressing "pagan" worship.

The prophecy continues with what some have called “The Book of Comfort” which begins in chapter 40 and completes the writing. In the first eight chapters of this section, Isaiah prophesies the deliverance of the Jews from the hands of the Babylonians and restoration of Israel as a unified nation in the land promised to them by God. Isaiah reaffirms that the Jews are indeed the chosen people of God in chapter 44 and that Yahweh is the only God for the Jews (and the only God of the universe) as he will show his power over the gods of Babylon in due time in chapter 46. In chapter 45:1, the Persian ruler Cyrus is named as the person of power who will overthrow the Babylonians and allow the return of Israel to their original land. Remarkably, the Book of Isaiah names Cyrus as a Messiah "anointed one" whom God raised up to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. This section is considered by modern scholars to be part of the so-called "Deutero-Isaiah," composed during or shortly after the Babylonian captivity and later edited into the authentic prophecies of the historical Isaiah.

Found here, too, are the famous "Servant Songs," including the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. Jews generally see the servant as symbolizing Israel, while Christian interpret this chapter as refering to Jesus as the suffering Messiah. Subsequent chapters (65 & 66) return to the theme of the judgment of false worshipers and idolaters. The book ends with a message of hope of a righteous ruler who extends salvation to his righteous subjects living in the Lord’s kingdom on earth.

Historical setting of Isaiah

Isaiah lived during the late eighth and early seventh centuries B.C.E., which was a difficult period in the history of Jerusalem. He was part of the upper class but urged care of the downtrodden. At the end, he was loyal to King Hezekiah, but disagreed with the King's attempts to forge alliances with Egypt and Babylon in response to the Assyrian threat.

Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of four kings: Uzziah (also known as Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. According to tradition, he was martyred during the reign of Manasseh, who came to the throne in 687 B.C.E., by being cut in two by a wooden saw. That he is described as having ready access to the kings would suggest an aristocratic origin.

This was the time of the divided kingdom, with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. There was prosperity for both kingdoms during Isaiah’s youth with little foreign interference. Jeroboam II ruled in the north and Uzziah in the south. The small kingdoms of Palestine, as well as Syria, were under the influence of Egypt. However, in 745 B.C.E., Tiglath-pileser III came to the throne of Assyria. He was interested in Assyrian expansionism, especially to the west; and 2 Kings 15:17-22 mentions that King Menahem of Israel paid tribute to him ("King Pul").

The Syro-Ephraimite War

Because of the threat from Tiglath-pileser, Syria (or "Aram") and Israel (led now by Pekah) tried to force Judah to ally with them around 734 B.C.E. Ahaz was on the throne of Judah then. He was advised by Isaiah to trust in the Lord, but, instead, he called to Assyria for help. Pekah of Israel and Rezin of Syria attacked Judah and inflicted damage on it before Assyria came to its aid, but there would be more serious religious consequences of Ahaz’s refusal to accept the Lord’s guidance through Isaiah.

Fall of Syria and Samaria

With Israel under King Pekah no longer loyal, Tiglath-pileser attacked in 733. He took much of the land of Israel (2 Kings 15:29-30) leaving only the city of Samaria and its surroundings independent. Judah, however, was not involved.

Damascus, capital of Syria, was taken by the Assyrians in 732. Tiglath–pileser died in 727, raising false hopes for the Palestinian countries. Ahaz died a year later. Isaiah warned Philistia and the other countries not to revolt against Assyria. Hoshea, then king of Samaria, withheld tribute to Assyria. Consequently, Shalmaneser V, the new king of Assyria, laid siege to Samaria for 3 years, and his successor, Sargon II, took the city and deported 27,000 Israelites to northern parts of the Assyrian empire. This marked the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel forever, as its population was taken into exile and dispersed amongst Assyrian provinces. It is as a result of this exile that reference is made to Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.

There was peace in the area for 10 years or so, but then, Sargon returned in 711 to crush a coalition of Egypt and the Philistines. Judah had stayed out of this conflict, Hezekiah wisely listening to Isaiah’s advice.

Babylon

Merodach-Baladan took power in Babylon in 721. Sargon took Babylon without a fight in 711, but after Sargon’s death, Merodach-Baladan rebelled against Sargon's successor Sennacherib. Babylon was defeated this time but would revive in another century to defeat Assyria and subjugate the Jews and destroy Jerusalem.

Hezekiah and Sennacherib

Sennacherib came to the throne of Assyria in 705. He had trouble immediately – with Ethiopian monarchs in Egypt (reference to Ethiopia here refers to present day north Sudan) and with the Babylonian leader, Merodach-Baladan. Despite Isaiah’s warnings, Hezekiah became involved as well. The Assyrians invaded the area, taking 46 towns before putting Jerusalem under siege. Isaiah persuaded Hezekiah to trust in the Lord and Jerusalem was spared.

Themes

File:Isaiah Wall.jpg

Isaiah 2:4 is taken as an unofficial mission statement by the United Nations. (Monument in New York City near UN headquarters)

Peace, 1896 etching by William Strutt, based upon Isaiah 11:6,7

Isaiah is often concerned with the connection between worship and ethical behavior. One of his major themes is God's refusal to accept the ritual worship of those who are treating others with cruelty and injustice.

Like other prophetic works, the Book of Isaiah frequently denounces idolatry, which was common at the time. The Canaanite worship, which sometimes involved fertility rites, had become popular among the Jewish people.

An important theme is that God is the God of the whole earth. Isaiah's God is conceived as the only true god, and the god of all humankind, not just the Israelite nation. Ultimately, no one can defeat God. If God's people suffer defeat in battle, it is only because God permits it to happen, usually as a punishment for their sin. Furthermore, God is concerned with more than the Jewish people. He has called Judah and Israel his covenant people for the specific purpose of teaching the world about him.

A final thematic goal that Isaiah constantly leans toward throughout the writing is the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, with rulers and subjects who strive to live by the will of God. Isaiah's prophecies of the messianic kingdom are among the most-quoted in the Bible, quoted in Handel's Messiah and many literary works.

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you.

Though in anger I struck you [Jerusalem], in favor I will show you compassion.

Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night,

so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations...

The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet

and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders,

but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,

for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. (Isaiah 60:10-19)

Authorship

One of the most critically debated issues in Isaiah is the proposition that it may have been the work of more than a single author. Different proposals suggest that there have been two or three main authors (Original Isaiah, Deutero-Isaiah, Trito-Isaiah), while alternative views suggest an additional number of minor authors or editors.

Almost all scholars who believe that there are multiple authors recognize some sort of division at the end of chapter 39 and that subsequent portions were written by one or more additional authors, referred to collectively as Deutero-Isaiah. Supporters of the three author proposal see a further division at the end of chapter 55. For most of the twentieth century the three-author position was the most widely held; in the 1990s, more complex and carefully nuanced positions (such as that from Williamson, 1994) started to appear. The typical objections to single authorship of the book of Isaiah are as follows:

• Anonymity. Isaiah’s name, which is used frequently in the first part of the book suddenly disappears from chapter 40-66.

• Style. There is a sudden change in the mood, theme, and style, after chapter 40.

• Historical Situation. Similarly, first portion of the book of Isaiah speaks of an impending judgment, whereas the later portion of the book discusses God's mercy and restoration as though the Babylonian exile were an established reality.

• Supernaturalism. "Second Isaiah" presupposes an intimate knowledge of future events such as the name of Cyrus, his action to restore the Jews to Jerusalem, etc.

These and other considerations have led most modern critical scholars to conclude that the Book of Isaiah, in its present form, is the result of an extensive editing process. Generally, the prophecies of the early section are considered the work of the historical Isaiah, also called "Isaiah of Jerusalem." The later sections are considered to be the work of a writer or writers known as "Deutero-Isaiah" during the period of the Babylonian exile of the sixth century B.C.E. A Third Isaiah is also posited, again possibly including more than one writer, from the period shortly after the exile had ended and the Jews had begun returning to Jerusalem.

Those Jews and Christians who reject historical-critical methods of biblical study insist that the book has author, Isaiah himself. Some admit to later scribal editing or even that the book itself was not compiled by Isaiah, whose prophecies were collected and combined only later into their present form.

It is notable that contemporary Catholic tradition does not insist on the single author view. An introduction to the book in the authorized New American Bible, characterizes the book as a collection of prohecies and poems composed by Isaiah, with additional material, both narrative and prophetic, added by later disciples of the prophet. Chapters 13-14, 24-27, and 34-35 were probably the work of others. Chapters 40-55 were written by an anonymous poet near the end of the Babylonian captivity, while chapters 56-66 were written later by anonymous disciples committed to continuing Isaiah's work.

Isaiah in Jewish and Christian tradition

Isaiah plays a significant role in both Jewish and Christian traditions. However, Jews generally understand the book as referring to the times in which it was written and the still-to-come messianic age, while Christians emphasize the passages which they believe refer to Jesus.

Matthew's Gospel sees Isaiah's prophecy of the child Immanuel as being fulfilled in the Virgin Birth of Jesus. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." (Matt. 1:23) Jews are quick to point out the term translated as "virgin" in this passage (amah) is better understood as meaning "young woman." Moreover, Immanuel himself must have been born in Isaiah's own time as a sign to King Ahaz of Judah that his military troubles would be ended: "Before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste." (Isa. 7:13-16)

Jesus declares a prophecy fulfilled after handing the Isaiah scroll to an attendant.

John the Baptist echoes one of the Book of Isaiah's prophecies (Isa. 40:3) in declaring his own mission. "This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" (Matt. 3:3) Jesus himself begins his public ministry in Nazarthe, according to Luke's account, by quoting a passage from Isaiah 61:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:16-20)

New Testament writers often refer to Isaiah to explain how Jesus fulfilled prophecy: Matthew states no less that four times (4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:14) that a certain event in Jesus' life happened in order: "to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah." The twelfth chapter of John's Gospel refers three times to the Book of Isaiah. In Acts 8, the Holy Spirit guides the evangelist Philip to witness to an influential Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah. And finally, Saint Paul refers several times to Isaiah's writings in his letter to the Romans.

The Suffering Servant

Romans 10:16 constitutes the earliest mention in Christian sources of Isaiah's Suffering Servant prophecy interpreted as relating to Jesus: "Not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our message?'" Paul's quote is a paraphrase. A fuller quotation is:

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering... Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isa. 53:1-5)

For the disciples of Jesus, the death of their hoped-for Messiah was strongly disillusioning (Luke 24:21). Isaiah 53, interpreted as predicting Jesus' death, soon became a source a inspiration to these earliest believers as they came to see the crucifixion as God's intended plan from the beginning.

Jews, on the other hand, see the Servant poems (which constitute several chapters of Deutero-Isaiah) to refer to Israel itself. Rather than speaking of the Messiah, these passages describe Israel's suffering during her exile, during which time she became a laughing stock. The passages gave hope to the Jews that one day they would return to Jerusalem, rebuild their Temple, and eventually regain their political independence through the Messiah—a literal king of Davidic lineage.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Childs, Brevard S. (2000-11). Isaiah, 1st ed, Westminster John Knox Press, 555. ISBN 0664221432. 

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Book of Isaiah

• Book of Isaiah (Hebrew) side-by-side with English)
• Book of Isaiah (English translation with Rashi's commentary at Chabad.org)
• Bible Gateway 35 languages/50 versions at GospelCom.net
• Unbound Bible 100+ languages/versions at Biola University

Preceded by: Kings	Hebrew Bible	Followed by Jeremiah
Preceded by: Song of Songs	Protestant Old Testament
Preceded by: Sirach	Roman Catholic Old Testament
	Eastern Old Testament

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